Chinese startup to launch space mining bot in November to test tech, plans to launch first mission in 2021

A Chinese startup is planning to launch its first ‘space mining robot’ in November. Origin Space, the Beijing-based private space resources company, is all set to boost NEO-1, a small satellite to a 500-kilometre altitude sun-synchronous orbit, reported US science magazine IEEE Spectrum. “The goal is to verify and demonstrate multiple functions such as spacecraft orbital manoeuvre, simulated small celestial body capture, intelligent spacecraft identification and control,” Yu Tianhong, co-founder of Origin Space told IEEE Spectrum. As the startup will become the first private firm to develop a space mining robot, the whole world will be eagerly waiting for the results.